| At the age of seven, I was a competitive gymnast, and body image and the effects of food were ingrained in me. When I was 16 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Chiari Malformation and had to have immediate brain surgery – my life as a competitive gymnast was over. After my long road to recovery, I dived into unhealthy fad diets and disordered eating to maintain my athletic build without gymnastics. My unhealthy eating habits spiraled in every direction and became a part of my life for more than 10 years. After feeling sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and doing everything I thought was “healthy” but getting nowhere, I invested in my first nutrition program: The Institution of Integrative Nutrition. This is where I first learned about a whole-food, plant-based diet. It got my attention and sparked my interest. During the program, I was introduced to Dr. John McDougall. For the first time, the information I was reading made sense. It wasn’t a fad diet, but pure science. This was how human beings were designed to eat and live sustainably. I learned how to cook and eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. I saw immediate benefits – my stomach issues decreased, my acne cleared up, and I lost weight effortlessly, all while eating an abundance of food. | 